Voronezh-Kastornensk Operation

The Voronezh-Kastornensk Operation occurred from 24 January to 17 February 1943 when the Soviet Bryansk Front under Max Reyter and the Voronezh Front of Filipp Golikov launched an offensive to recapture Voronezh from the Axis forces. 987,000 Red Army troops took part in the offensive, which was designed to be a pincer attack on the city of Voronezh. The Bryansk Front attacked from the north as the Voronezh Front attacked from the south, and the German 2nd Army under Hans von Salmuth was nearly destroyed; the Hungarian 2nd Army was crushed in the battle. The Axis suffered heavy losses both in battle and due to retreating during the pitiless Russian winter, and a big gap was left in the Axis front line as a result of the Axis withdrawal.